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Dave Meltzer: ''WWE Doesn't See Dean Ambrose As A Top Guy.''

26K views 210 replies 123 participants last post by  Black Widow 
#1 ·
Source: Wrestling Observer Radio

Dave Meltzer on Dean Ambrose:


''I don't think, there is a John Cena right now, unfortunately. But since the Shield broke up I thought he should be the top guy. I know the qualms on why he wouldn't be the guy but unless you get the chance unless you're given the chance and you're booked well in that position, you just don't know. For me, I would've put him in that position and given him the shot, if it didn't work, it didn't work.

I mean, they've never given him that shot, and every time they say they're gonna give him that shot, they do the exact opposite. I think that they had this feeling that if we uh, y'know, "we kept beating Bryan Danielson and look at how big he got.", and it's just like that was a weird situation. I don't know that "keep beating him until he gets over" is gonna work in very many cases. I think in most cases, it won't work. I think that the general feeling on Dean Ambrose is that I think people like him, and they also do not believe in him as a top guy.

I mean, that Triple H match was like, a real bad one because just the whole nature of the way that match went. He tricked him into the title match, he still gets beat clean, comes up with a story afterwards and it only buries him even deeper. They pretty much said he's a spunky guy who can't beat a top guy. I guess there's a chance he's gonna get his hand raised over Brock but like, if he does, y'know it's gonna be like with the Wyatt family doing it all. So, if even if he is to win that match, I don't know what it really means, and I don't think that they would put Dean over Brock clean. I don't think, they would have Ambrose win without any interference, and if I was booking, I wouldn't do that either because, I just think that you've got so much money invested in Brock, but if I was booking that, I also wouldn't have these angles be so one-sided, I mean, it's so one-sided all the way through.

On Smackdown I'm watching all these one-sided angles thinking, they'll probably put Dean's hand up, and think "Well, that's how he gets his thing.", but it's probably gonna be with Bray Wyatt and the Wyatts interfering, but how much is that gonna help Dean really? I think people see Dean as a guy who is a good guy on the show, but he's not a guy that's gonna be on top, because they'll never put him on top. I think how they see him, is like how they've seen a lot of guys over the years, over to a degree, but not over to a big degree. ''
 
#171 ·
Exactly.

Would Dean be my first choice to be the top baby face on Raw, the guy who is supposed to represent the company in all the media outlets, the guy who takes on all the bad guys and is counted on to deliver exciting and engaging 20+ minute matches in the main event multiple times a month? No.

I'd actually choose Cesaro for that role, because Cesaro isn't quite so screwy and oddball and has more appeal for kids as well as the 18-34 male demo as well as women. I mean, Cena has been portrayed as a super hero for almost a decade now, but Cesaro is actually a real life super hero. He's stronger than everyone, he can work incredible matches as a face or heel, he's good looking enough that chicks will dig him but not so good looking that men will feel threatened by him or that he's only getting a push based on his look. Cesaro is a clean cut guy with a VERY interesting life story and most importantly he's worked his way up through the opening matches all the way up to the semi main/upper mid card. He's earned his stripes.

Plus, Cesaro is fluent in 5 languages, is super over in Europe as well as Asia, and feels like a true international superstar instead of just a strictly U.S. star. On top of THAT, he's gonna appeal to Americans because of his immigration story.

He isn't an AMAZING promo, but he doesn't need to be because he's got something more important than catch phrases and one liners: he's believable on the mic. When he talks and isn't reciting scripted nonsense, you believe everything he says.

If WWE were to take this time while Cesaro is odd screen and injured to tweak his look so he's a bit more "sports entertainer" and less "European catch wrestler" in appearance he would literally have every box checked off for what you need in a top baby face.

That said, if they weren't gonna go with Cesaro, Ambrose and Seth Rollins would be the best choices for right now. I've always thought Rollins will reach his full potential as a baby face, he's just too flashy and impressive in the ring for people to hate him for a prolonged period of time. He's better in the ring than Ambrose, great on the mic, and again he's got cross appeal across all the different segments of the fanbase.
 
#5 ·
Exactly my feelings on Ambrose. I really like the guy but everytime he was given a main event spot he failed.

He's a great upper midcard guy who can occasionally hang in a multi-man main event match.

He's not nearly as over as people make him out to be (or how over he could've been had they capitalized at the right time) and his god awful moveset... jfc.. can you really see those wacky moves he keeps repeating over and over main event a Wrestlemania? (spoiler: nope)
 
#111 ·
Well if Vince and Co. doesn't think he is a top guy, then he is probably the right person to put in that role, you know given the WWE has been wrong on just about everyone of their choices for top faces since Cena in 2005 :draper2
Cena/Batista

Edge - made him the face of SD for years and millions off him

Mysterio - made millions, booked him as a top guy, and he sold more merch at home hurt than Punk/Bryan on TV nightly

RVD - used him to relaunch ECW and it worked well before he fucked everything up by himself

Jeff Hardy - got over huge and made tons of money. Did better house show attendance, ratings, and merch than Punk or Bryan did as the top SD guys

Orton - never made it to Cena/BAtista/HHH levels but his tour was still out selling Pipe Bomb and Yes Movement at their heights as the opposite circuit with undercard guys like Los MAtadores lol

And Batista again - Vince wanted to make Batista the WM30 main event and he was right as BAtista remained healthy and starred in a blockbuster success while Bryan got them jack shit for a payoff and wasted their build up and held up titles.

Reigns - for all the shit he has gotten his WMs hes headlined have sold well. His tours average 7-9000 which was still better than the Punk/Bryan circuit that was getting half of Cena/Orton tour. HE hasn't been vocally accepted but fuck it, people put their money behind him
 
#7 ·
Cant be any worse than Roman.........
 
#8 ·
Ambrose a year and half ago as the top guy? Hell yeah, sure!

Ambrose now as a top guy? No thanks.

Not saying it's all Dean's fault (even though lately his character and even in ring skills have been shit) but he doesn't have the same momentum and overness he did last year that warrants "top guy" spot. He looks and feels like a GEEK.
 
#16 ·
Well, DUH!

Meltzer ... fpalm

No surprise, seeing as Vince has probably never truly CREATED a top star by himself. They allowed people to evolve into top stars. Until recently that is, when everything went to the shitter.




I NEED the vid where your sig is from!
 
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#9 ·
He doesn't view himself as a top guy judging by his interviews so :shrug They can't force some one in a top spot.
 
#211 ·
Dean is a hard working guy who is also very talented and he deserves it so much and he is loved by the crowd.
We love guys we can relate to like Bryan and Dean.
I don't see the problem with Lesnar loosing to him.Yes,he is bigger than Dean and he was in UFC and he ended the streak so what?
He is a part-time and he doesn't have much more to achive in WWE,he probably won't be around for long so why not make a new star?
It will not change anything if he lose he still will be the person who ended the streak but it will change everything for Dean and Dean is very much deserving.






Yeah, I'm pretty sure Ambrose is fine with not being the top guy. He's come out and said that he doesn't want to be the top guy so why would WWE have faith in someone who doesn't want that position?


Yes,he doesn't want to be Cena or Roman like top face .Are we going to blame him for that?
Dean is Dean,he is different and does things differently.What's wrong with that?
He wants to be Dean Ambrose not Cena or Reigns.
We wants a change,don't we?
 
#11 ·
When The Shield first split I thought Roman would be 'the man', Seth would be the top tier worker and Dean would be at the bottom. Glad I was proven wrong. Thing that gets me about Dean is his damn noodle arms! Looking back at his debut he certainly looked a lot larger and intimidating. Not saying I could beat him in a fight but really looks like a squash guy in his vest and jeans. Don't think Dean will get the D-Bry amount of reactions to force him in the Main vent scene though/
 
#12 ·
I don't care if Brock goes over as long as match lives up to expectations and Ambrose loss will have him looking like a star.
 
#162 ·
Ambrose taking Brock to the limit and losing, but getting the handshake out of respect from Brock at the end would mean more than beating Brock with all the Wyatt's coming out using voodoo magic, electrocuting him, setting him on fire, or whatever other smoke & mirror bullshit finish they have planned.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
His better suited as an upper midcarder with the sporadic me run. His like randy Orton. You only build the show around him if his leading a stable. And he doesn't have the drive to be number 1 guy.
 
#24 ·
That's exactly why he's been under performing every since he became a solo babyface. He does just enough to remain in a comfortable spot. He said in an itw back in 14 before his HIAC match:"I don't want to be a John Cena" . He hates cameras/internet/gyms/people in general. Doesn't scream number 1 guy to me.
 
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#21 ·
What's alarming about all of this is that they legitimately believe that he'll get more over by getting his ass kicked every week. Faces get over by kicking ass, not by getting their ass kicked. Fans cheer for winners. In Fastlane fans were chanting for Brock Lesnar to be put through a table. The same Brock Lesnar who is the most over guy on the roster. This just goes to show that fans will cheer for you if you beat other people up, not the opposite. Just because it worked for Daniel Bryan, which was a rare situation, doesn't mean it'll work for anyone else.
 
#35 · (Edited)
What?
Because carrying the company and two feuds in the lead up to Mania, constantly covering the shortcomings of Reigns, putting out promo after promo and doing promotion vids like the one of his workout for Lesnar, while still working a grueling schedule with no break (unlike Reigns) is lacking ambition. fpalm

:lol I don't recall him being called CM Punk.

Idk what drugs you on that make "this is boring" sounds like thunderous applause.

Or if that somehow is all to blame on HHH & Braun and none of it on Dean.. before that was his embarrassing performance when he headlined with Rollins and he did like 50 lariats because he just doesn't have any other moves.

Everytime he was put in that position, he failed. Miserably.

He can talk and pull faces, not main event PPV's.
As soon as you compare someone as hardworking and humble as Ambrose to the whiny little bitch that Punk became, your opinion is invalid.

One shitty ass ME on RAW doesn't cancel the literal years of hardwork and overness despite being booked third rate to inferior ass Reigns and consistently jobbing to a should-be face in Rollins.

See yourself out.

That´s why I called him the CBB- Creepy Big Bastard two years ago. He´s the new Christian.
What kinda of comparison even is this? fpalm
 
#23 ·
Honestly though, a hard fought clean loss against Lesnar will do more than a win via fuckery after Wyatt interference.

Just keep the Wyatts away FFS. End this Wyatt/Lesnar thing for the love of God.
 
#26 · (Edited)
He just isn't a face so it makes sense, as a psychopath heel - I could see him as the guy with the title. But WWE will find a way to fuck that up to, a natural heel. Right now, not a single one of them are a 'top guy' or have a 'top guy feel' in the same presence of a Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker etc, closest we have had is Rollins, but even he for all his brilliance - is missing something...just God damn lazy creativity and shit decision making.
 
#70 ·
It depends on the world you want to create. The face/heel labels are fast becoming redundant. Lesnar himself is above those labels. It doesn't matter what he does now, he's Brock Lesnar. He's not a heel or a face.

Fans will choose to cheer or boo him depending on the story but he will never be a big smiling goof like Big Show one minute and then a whining sack of shit the next. This is the kind of consistency every one else is not entitled to for some reason.

It's TV not 1980's house shows. Characters need to be developed, gradually evolved and protected. The writing is at an unbelievably poor level in WWE right now, even just by wrestling standards.
 
#27 ·
There's no comparison to Dean Ambrose and Daniel Bryan, though, because when Bryan was getting his ass kicked, it was as a heel and Sheamus was a face. Then they turned Bryan face and gave him the tag titles with Kane.

Then Bryan beat Orton, then beat Cena clean.

If WWE thinks this is "Like Daniel Bryan," they couldn't be more wrong.
 
#30 · (Edited)
As a face Ambrose might not really become anything. But if WWE gives Ambrose freedom as a heel, he is sure to blow the doors off everything (wink)

And I believe he is really fit for the main event. His match with Triple H did really good, and he performs well with Rollins every time. And when it comes to building a story, he hits the ball out the park.

And if WWE doesn't see Ambrose as a top guy and doesn't make him a top guy, then at least I got lucha Underground to use my guy right.
 
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